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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:
* With a new Quinnipiac poll in Virginia showing a tied gubernatorial race, note that Terry McAuliffe (D) enjoys a slight edge over Ken Cuccinelli (R), 34% to 31%, if Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling enters the race as an independent.
* In a provocative move, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D) is promoting a PPP poll showing him leading Sen. Max Baucus (D) in a possible 2014 primary.
* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) has been panicky for months about a possible 2014 primary opponent in Kentucky, and it appears one is emerging. Matt Bevin, who does not hold elected office, has reportedly begun a series of meetings with in-state Tea Party groups.
* With only about eight months remaining until New Jersey's gubernatorial race, incumbent Gov. Chris Christie has a 74% approval rating a 37-point lead over state Sen. Barbara Buono, his likely Democratic challenger, in a new Quinnipiac poll.
* Failed U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller (R) is reportedly looking to run again next year, and in keeping with the larger trend, that makes right-wing activists happy and the Republican establishment panicky.
* Is next year's U.S. Senate race in Georgia a potential pick-up opportunity for Democrats? Public Policy Polling runs the latest numbers and suggests it's possible.
* If incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn (D) intends to seek another term, he'll need a new running mate -- Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon (D) will not seek re-election.
* And Fox News personality Geraldo Rivera is reportedly interested in running for the Senate as a Republican in New Jersey next year, but preliminary polling suggests two-thirds of voters in the Garden State aren't prepared to consider his candidacy.
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Max Baucus.
The tea party has done a great job at causing Republicans to quake in their boots in fear of being put into a primary.
Thankfully someone appears to have gotten the idea on the Democrat side!
Now if we can get someone to run against Durbin in Illinois.
From your lips to God's ear. Getting rid of Balk-Us would be sweet.
And if Fundie Wingnut Wacko "Dr" Paul Broun runs in Georgia, it's going to be interesting to see even the morons embarrassed by his braindead bull manure.
I would love to see Schweitzer beat Baucus (D - Corporate Whore), who has done more damage to the Democratic Party than any outsider.
Remember Baucus lead the fight against Single Payer and Filabuster Reform. Perhaps a listing of his contributors next to Schwitzer's would be important to see, but what good has Baucus done in his 30 years in the Senate, really?
Sorry, my computer froze just as I saw my spelling error, previously corrected...my bad. "Baucus led"...Law of Primacy - what you learn first is hardest to unlearn.
Schweitzer would be awesome in the Senate, and a huge improvement over Baucus, who is corrupt. Hope Brian runs and wins.
Re VA gubernatorial race: my local weekly paper came out with an editorial encouraging Bolling to run. Since everyone knows that the owner/editor is somewhat left-leaning (he does his best to stay as impartial as possible), he had to present McAuliffe as a "flaming radical" option. Good laugh was had by all.
"The Cooch" is going to win the VA governor's race by default. This is a race the Dems badly need to win, just to put a damper on the mischievousness of Virginia legislators. It's too bad that the Dems are running the weakest possible candidate in McAuliffe. There HAS to be a better candidate out there somewhere.
Any average Democrat walking down the street is a better candidate than Terry McAuliffe. It was bad enough being faced here in California with having to vote for Jerry Brown, the moron who caused all the problems 40 years ago with his political ADD as the"savior" against the wingnut idiot Whitman. Having to vote for Terry the Toad over The Cooch would be a real "clothespin, meet nose" moment.
There might be a better candidate "out there somewhere" (though I don't know who), but none are willing to go against McAuliffe, who has the backing of the "apparatus", mostly because of his fundraising power. But it's true that the Carpetbagger isn't going to spark much enthusiasm, in "boots on the ground" way, especially outside of NoVA. In my neck of the woods (south-western VA), all the volunteers who had been "fired up and ready to go" for Obama, and did well enough even for Kaine, are saying, with a big sigh "we'll do what we can, but..."
Run Joe, run!
Ah, Joe Miller: the man who made me over-conscious about the risks of using the word 'straight' in the wrong context. I've always wondered if that was deliberate on his part.
On the other hand, sometimes the wrong thing just pops out. A few weeks ago I needed something bureaucratically complicated explained to me at work. When I finally got it, I think what I intended to say was something like, "OK, I've got it straight now," but what came out was "OK, I'm straight."
So embarrassing.
Wow, McConnel could be replaced with a tea party nut? Would that be an improvement, a backslide or a lateral pass?
I would love to see Max Cleland get in the race down in Georgia...if the Tea party tries to field a full blown wack-a-loon (and you know they will) against an "Establishment" Republican it could create an opening...if nothing else it's worth taking a run at simply because it will make the Republicans panic and spend a ton of money
Poor Mitch McConnell. Now he's threatened not just by Ashley Judd, but a member of his own party.
"Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you"
Well, actually, Schweitzer is our former governator, as of last month. Not to be a stickler for facts or anything.